Dion Waiters to start opener against Washington Wizards (Cavs notes)

INDEPENDENCE -- It was long-awaited, but Cavaliers coach Byron Scott's starting lineup had very few surprises.

He announced on Monday he would start Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters in the backcourt and Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson and Alonzo Gee in the frontcourt in the home opener at 7 p.m. tonight against Washington at Quicken Loans Arena.

"That starting lineup will give us a lot of energy," Scott said. "We have a couple guys who can score."

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The only minor surprise was Gee at small forward instead of C.J. Miles, who packs more of a wallop offensively.

"Zo did a great job in the preseason, especially on the defensive end," Scott said. "It gives us better balance."

Scott plans on a 10-man rotation, at least from the start. The second unit will consist of point guard Donald Sloan, shooting guard Daniel Gibson, Miles, power forward Samardo Samuels and center Tyler Zeller.

"(Miles) can get his feet wet understanding what we need done on both ends," Scott said. "Two weeks from now, I might change my mind."

Both members of the Cavs' backcourt are 20 years old. Waiters, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2012 draft, has come on strong in the last week or so.

"He's growing," Scott said. "He wasn't thinking as much. He knows all the plays, everything on the floor. Once you start getting it, they start reacting. For him and Tyler, the game is slowing down. It will probably speed up for them tomorrow night since it's opening night. It's a real game instead of preseason, so there's more at stake."

Under the radar

Scott said he doesn't care that the national media has paid no attention to the Cavs in the preseason.

"As long as we understand it and realize we're heading in the right direction and our guys are getting better, that's all that matters. All that other stuff will come in due time."

Focus on Kyrie?

Irving won't be sneaking up on anybody in 2012-13.

"I pretty much know how teams are going to react," Scott said. "They are going to load up on him. He's not going to sneak up on guys or teams. It's one of those years where he'll get tested every night because teams are going to try to take him away. They'll try to bottle him up.

"In the preseason game at Champaign, (Ill.) he said every time he came down the court, three or four guys were looking at him. I said, 'Welcome to the NBA.' That's going to happen every night to a marquee player. He'll see that on a night-to-night basis. I still think he's going to be pretty good."

Irving has yet to get medical clearance to play tonight, but it appears as if it will happen.

"He said he's clearing himself tomorrow," Scott said. "He didn't have any setbacks from yesterday. That's a pleasant surprise. We'll wait until after tomorrow morning and wait until gametime."

Offer to Batum?

The Portland Oregonian reported that the Cavs made a four-year, $52 million offer to Trail Blazers forward Nicholas Batum in free agency.

The 6-8, 200-pound Batum was a restricted free agent. That offer is significantly higher than the offer sheet Batum signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, worth $46 million over four years. Portland matched that offer after it was signed.

Making plans

Cavs vice president of communications Tad Carper said the Cavs-Quicken Loans Arena staff had a two-hour meeting Monday to discuss the potential impact of weather on tonight's scheduled season opener at the Q.

"It will have to be pretty dire for the game to be cancelled," Carper said.

Quick shots

o The Cavs' average age of their 15-man roster is 24.9 years old. Their starting five will average 23.7.